Catch Up Pics: Fatu Hiva - off to the waterfall

Lochmarin
Mon 5 May 2014 20:24


The road follows the river along the valley, where we found ridges after ridges after ridges. Along each side of the river and road pigs and cows were tethered to graze - the cows were frequently stuck having tied themselves in knots around the trees.  The pigs were strange long legged, long faced fluffy pigs - they looked much more like wild boar than pigs and there are indeed wild pigs living out on the mountains, the locals hunt them with dogs. 



The island is known for its outrigger canoes, many of the houses have one outside - the poles stored on top of the canoe here connect to the side to form a sort of stabiliser.


Along the way we saw a number of copra drying racks. The tin roof is on wheels than slide along the rails either side to cover the coconut when it rains.



Now and then you can still see traditional houses woven out of palm leaves like this one.

  

Spike is sitting next to one of the small piles of stones that marked the trail, and here's one of the flowers that marked the way for the last 200 yrds.


And here it is - I couldn't get it all in the picture as it falls 200ft, making beautiful patterns on the rocks. There are fresh water shrimps and eels in the pools at it's foot, and salamanders as big as a foot and a half long around the pools.


However high we climbed, however many ridges we got to see over, there always seemed to be another in the distance...